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Hiotographic 

Sciences 
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1 

? 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

#lti    ^outl)    neafltt^. 


No.  73. 


The  Battle  of 
Quebec. 


From  Captain  John  Knox's  "Historical  Journal  of  thk  Cam- 
paigns IN  North  Amkrica  tor  the  Years  1757,  1758,  1759, 
and  1760." 


§      I 


;ili        I: 


'■■     11 


Sept.  II,  1759.  Great  preparations  are  making  throughout 
the  fleet  and  army  to  surprise  the  enemy,  and  compel  them  to 
decide  the  fate  of  Quebec  by  a  battle.  All  the  long-boats 
below  the  town  are  to  be  filled  with 'seamen,  marines,  and  such 
detachments  as  can  be  spared  from  Points  Levi  and  Orleans, 
in  order  to  make  a  feint  off  Beauport  and  the  Point  de  Lest, 
and  endeavor  to  engross  the  attention  of  the  Sieur  de  Mont- 
calm, while  the  army  are  to  force  a  descent  on  this  side  of  the 
town.  The  officer  of  our  regiment  who  commanded  the  escort 
yesterday  on  the  reconnoitring  pa/ty,  being  asked  in  the  gen- 
eral's hearing,  after  the  health  of  one  of  the  gentlemen  who 
was  reported  to  be  ill,  replied  "  he  was  in  a  very  low  indifferent 
state,"  which  the  other  lamented,  saying,  "  He  has  but  a  puny, 
delicate  constitution."  This  struck  his  Excellency,  it  being  his 
own  case,  who  interrupted,  "  Don't  tell  me  of  constitution  : 
that  officer  has  good  spirits,  and  good  spirits  will  carry  a  man 
through  everything." 

September  12.  A  soldier  of  the  Royal  Americans  deserted 
this  day  from  the  south  shore,  and  one  came  over  to  us  from 
the  enemy,  who  informed  the  General  "  that  he  belonged  to  a 
detachment  composed  of  two  officers  and  fifty  men  who  had 
been  sent  across  the  river  to  take  a  prisoner ;  that  the  French 
generals  suspect  we  are  going  higher  up  to  lay  waste  the  coun- 
try and  destroy  such  ships  and  craft  as  they  have  got  above ; 
and  that  Monsieur  Montcalm  will  not  be  prevailed  on  to  quit 
his   situation,    insisting  that  the  flower  of  our  army  are   still 


'3 


iV,; 


'I 


i 


li 


i 


below  the  town ;  that  the  reduction  of  Niagara  has  caused 
great  discontent  in  the  French  army,  that  the  wretched  Cana- 
dians are  much  dissatisfied,  and  that  Monsieur  de  Levis  is 
certainly  marched,  with  a  detachment  of  the  army,  to  Montreal, 
in  order  to  re-enforce  Mr.  Bourlemacque  and  stop  General 
Amherst's  progress."  This  fellow  added  "  that,  if  we  were 
fairly  landed  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  an  incredible  num- 
ber of  the  French  regulars  would  actually  desert  to  us."  In 
consequence  of  this  agreeable  intelligence,  the  following  orders 
were  this  d;.iy  issued  to  the  army  :  — 

ORDERS. 

Ox  Board  the  "  Sutherland." 
"  The  enemy's  force  is  now  divided,  great  scarcity  of  provi- 
sions now  in  their  camp,  and  universal  discontent  among  the 
Canadians.  The  second  officer  in  command  is  gone  to  Mon- 
treal or  St.  John's,  which  gives  reason  to  think  that  General 
Amherst  is  adv^ancing  into  the  colony.  A  vjgorous  bloiv  struck 
by  the  antiy  at  this  juncture  may  determine  the  fate  of  Canada. 
Our  troops  below  are  in  readiness  to  join  us.  All  the  light  artil- 
lery and  tools  are  embarked  at  the  Point  of  Levi,  and  the 
troops  will  land  where  the  French  seem  least  to  expect  it. 
The  first  body  that  gets  on  shore  is  to  march  directly  to  the 
enemy,  and  drive  them  from  any  little  post  they  may  occupy. 
The  officers  must  be  careful  that  the  succeeding  bodies  do  not, 
by  any  mistake,  fire  upon  those  who  go  on  before  them.  The 
battalions  must  form  on  the  upper  ground  with  expedition,  and 
be  ready  to  charge  whatever  presents  itself.  When  the  artil- 
lery and  troops  are  landed,  a  corps  will  be  left  to  secure  the 
landing-place,  while  the  rest  march  on  and  endeavor  to  bring 
the  French  and  Canadians  to  a  battle.  The  officers  and  incii 
will  remember  ivhat  their  country  expects  from  them,  and  7vhaf  a 
determined  body  of  so/diers,  inured  to  war,  is  capable  of  doiui; 
against  five  lueak  French  battalions,  mingled  ivith  a  disorderly 
peasantry.  The  soldiers  must  be  attentive  and  obedient  to 
their  ofiicers  and  resolute  in  the  execution  of  their  dutv." 

The  Brigadiers  Monckton  and  Murray,  with  the  troops  under 
their  command,  re-embarked  this  day  from  the  parish  of  St. 
Nicholas,  and  returned  to  their  ships.  This  evening  all  the 
boats  of  the  fieet  below  the  town  were  filled  with  marines,  etc., 
covered  by  frigates  and  sloops  of  war,  worked  up,  and  lay  half- 


channel  over,  opposite  to  Beauport,  as  if  intending  to  land  in 
the  morning  and  thereby  fix  the  enemy's  whole  attention  to 
that  quarte'"  The  ships  attending  them  are  to  edge  over  at 
break  of  day  as  near  as  possible,  without  grounding,  and  can- 
nonade the  French  intrenchments.  At  nine  o'clock  this  night 
our  army  in  high  spirits,  the  first  division  of  them  put  into  the 
flat-bottomed  boats,  and  in  a  short  time  after  the  whole  squad- 
ron moved  up  the  river  with  the  tide  of  flood,  and  about  an 
hour  before  daylight  next  morning  we  fell  down  with  the  ebb. 
Weather  favorable,  a  starlight  night. 

Thursday,  Sept.  13,  1759. 

Before  daybreak  this  morning  we  made  a  descent  upon  the 
north  shore,  about  half  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  eastward  of 
Sillery ;  and  the  light  troops  were  fortunately  by  the  rapidity  of 
the  current  carried  lower  down  between  us  and  Cape 
Diamond.  We  had  in  this  debarkation  thirty  flat-bottomed 
boats,  containing  about  sixteen  hundred  men.  This  was  a  great 
surprise  on  the  enemy,  who  from  the  natural  strength  of  the 
place  did  not  suspect,  and  consequently  were  net  prepared 
against  so  bold  an  attempt.  The  chain  of  sentries  which  they 
had  posted  along  the  summit  of  the  heights  galled  us  a  little, 
and  picked  off  several  men*  and  some  officers  before  our  light 
infantry  got  up  to  dislodge  them.t  This  grand  enterprise  was 
conducted  and  executed  with  great  good  order  and  discretion. 
As  fast  as  we  landed,  the  boats  put  off  for  re-enforcements,  and 
the  troops  formed  with  much  regularity.  The  General,  with 
Brigadiers  Monckton  and  Murray,  was  ashore  with  the  first 
di\  ision.  We  lost  no  time  here,  but  clambered  up  one  of  the 
steepest  precipices  that  can  be  conceived,  being  almost  a  per- 
pendicular, and  of  an  incredible  height.  As  soon  as  we  gained 
the  summit,  all  was  quiet,  and  not  a  shot  was  heard,  owing  to 
the  excellent  conduct  of  the  light  infantry  under  Colonel  Howe. 
It  was  by  this  time  clear  daylight.     Here  we  formed  again,  the 


'    1 


i 


i 


*  In  the  boat  where  I  was,  one  man  was  killed, 
slightly,  and  two  mortally,  wounded. 


One  seaman,  with  four  soldiers  were 


t  Captain  Donald  M'Donaid,  a  \'ery  gallant  officer  oi  Eraser's  Highlanders,  commanded 
the  advanced  guard  of  the  light  infantry,  and  was  consequently  among  the  foremost  on  shore. 
As  soon  as  he  and  his  'nen  gained  the  height,  he  was  challenged  by  a  sentrj-.  and  with  great 
jiresence  of  mind,  from  his  knowledge  of  the  French  ser\-;ce,  answered  him  according  to  their 
manner.  Ft  bei-ig  yet  dark,  he  came  up  to  him,  told  h'm  he  was  sent  there  with  a  large  com- 
mand to  take  post,  and  desiied  liim  to  go  with  all  sjieed  to  his  guard,  and  to  call  off  all  the 
other  men  of  his  party  wlu)  were  ranged  along  the  hill,  for  that  he  would  take  care  to  give  a 
good  account  of  the  1?  -  Anglois  if  they  should  persist.  This /i/wssf  had  the  desired  effect, 
and  saved  us  many  lives,  etc. 


river  and  the  south  country  in  our  rear,  our  right  extending  to 
the  town,  our  left  to  Sillery,  and  halted  a  few  minutes.*  The 
general  then  detached  the  light  troops  to  our  left  to  rout  the 
enemy  from  their  battery,  and  to  disable  their  guns,  except 
they  could  be  rendered  serviceable  to  the  party  who  were  to 
remain  there ;  and  this  service  was  soon  performed.  We  then 
faced  to  the  right,  and  marched  toward  the  town  by  files  till 
we  came  to  the  Plains  of  Abraham,  an  even  piece  of  ground 
which  ^tr.  Wolfe  had  made  choice  of,  while  we  stood  forming 
upon  the  hill.  Weather  showery.  About  six  o'clock  the  enemy 
first  made  their  appearance  upon  the  heights  between  us  and 
the  town,  whereupon  we  halted  and  wheeled  to  the  right, 
thereby  forming  the  line  of  battle. t  The  first  disposition  then 
was  "  grenadiers  of  Louisburg  on  the  right,  forty-seventh 
regiment  on  the  left,  twenty-eighth  on  the  right,  and  the  forty- 
third  on  the  left."  Part  of  the  light  infantry  took  post  in  the 
houses  at  Sillery,  and  the  remainder  occupied  a  chain  of  houses 
which  were  opportunely  situated  for  that  purpose,  and  covered 
our  left  flank,  inclining  toward  our  rear.  The  general  then 
advanced  some  platoons  from  the  grenadiers  and  twenty-eighth 
regiment  below  the  height  on  our  right,  to  annoy  the  enemy, 
and  prevent  their  getting  round  the  declivity  between  us  and 
the  main  river,  which  they  had  attempted.  Ky  this  time  the 
fifteenth  and  thirty-fifth  regiments  joined  us,  who  formed  a 
second  line,  and  were  soon  after  followed  by  the  forty-eighth 
and  fifty-eighth,  two  battalions  of  the  sixtieth  and  seventy- 
eighth  regiments  (Highlanders),  by  which  a  new  disposition 
was  made  of  the  whole,  namely:  "first  line,  thirty-fifth  to  the 


on  the  slope  of  the  hill ;  fifty-eighth, 
seventy-eighth,    left ;     twenty-eighth, 


right,  in  a  circular  form 
left ;  grenadiers,  right 
right;  forty-seventh,  left;  forty-third,  in  the  centre."  General 
Wolfe,  Brigadiers  Monckton  and  Murray,  to  our  front  line ; 
and  the  second  was  composed  of  the  fifteenth  and  two  battal- 
ions of  the  sixtieth  regiment  under  Brigadier  Townshend,  with 
a  reserve  of  the  forty-eighth  regiment,  under  Colonel  Burton, 


*  The  hill  they  cUtubed,  aiul  haltfd  at  its  to/>,  of  uiorc  than  mortal  size  ; 
TCii-'cring  they  sccuiiul.  an  host  ani^flic,  clad  in  bnrnini:^  arms  ! 

t  Quebec  was  tlieii  to  tlie  eastward  of  us  in  front,  witli  the  enemy  under  its  walls.  ( )ur 
right  was  flanked  by  the  declivity  and  tlie  main  river  to  tiie  soutiiward,  and  what  is  called  tlie 
lower  road  leading  (westward)  from  the  town,  with  the  river  Charles  and  the  north  countr)', 
were  on  our  left.  If  the  reader  will  attend  to  tiiis  description,  observlnjr  the  cardinal  points, 
he  may  thereby  form  as  lively  an  idea  of  the  field  of  battle  as  if  a  plan  were  laid  before  him  ; 
and,  though  our  first  disposition  was  afterward  altered,  yet  our  situation,  with  that  of  tlie 
enemy  and  the  scene  of  action,  could  not  vary. 


i 


5 


5|i 


\ 


drawn  up  in  four  grand  divisions  with  large  intervals.  The 
enemy  had  now  likewise  formed  the  line  of  battle,  and  got 
some  cannon  to  play  on  us,  with  round  and  canister  shot ;  but 
what  galled  us  most  was  a  body  of  Indians  and  other  marks- 
men they  had  concealed  in  the  corn  opposite  to  the  front  of  our 
right  wing,  and  a  coppice  that  stood  opposite  to  our  centre  in- 
clining toward  our  left.  But  the  Colonel  Hale,  by  Brigadier 
Monckton's  orders,  advanced  some  platoons  alternately  from 
the  forty-seventh  regiment,  which  after  a  few  rounds  obliged 
these  sculkers  to  retire.  We  were  now  ordered  to  lie  down, 
and  remained  some  time  in  this  position.  About  eight  o'clock 
we  had  two  pieces  of  short  brass  six-pounders  playing  on  the 
enemy,  which  threw  them  into  some  confusion,  and  obliged  them 
to  alter  their  disposition ;  and  Montcalm  formed  them  into  three 
large  columns.  About  nine  the  two  armies  moved  a  little  nearer 
each  other.  The  light  cavalry  made  a  faint  attempt  upon  our 
parties  at  the  battery  of  Sillery,  but  were  soon  beat  off;  and 
Monsieur  de  Bougainville,  with  his  troops  from  Cape  Rouge, 
came  down  to  attack  the  flank  of  gur  second  line,  hoping  to 
penetrate  there.  But,  by  a  masterly  disposition  of  Brigadier 
Townshend,  they  were  forced  to  desist ;  and  the  third  battalion 
of  Royal  Americans  was  then  detached  to  the  first  ground  we 
had  formed  on  after  we  gained  the  heights,  to  preserve  the 
communication  with  the  beach  and  our  boats.  About  ten 
o'clock  the  enemy  began  to  advance  briskly  in  three  columns, 
with  loud  shouts  and  recovered  arms,  two  of  them  inclining  to 
the  left  of  our  army,  and  the  third  toward  our  right,  firing 
obliquely  at  the  two  extremities  of  our  line,  from  the  distance 
of  one  hundred  and  thirty,  until  they  came  within  forty  yards, 
which  our  troops  withstood  with  the  greatest  intrepidity  and 
firmness,  still  reserving  their  fire  and  paying  the  strictest  obedi- 
ence to  their  officers.  This  uncommon  steadiness,  together 
with  the  havoc  which  the  grape-shot  from  our  field-pieces  made 
among  them,  threw  them  into  some  disorder,  and  was  most 
critically  maintained  by  a  well-timed,  regular,  and  heavy  dis- 
charge of  our  small  arms,  such  as  they  could  no  longer  oppose.* 

*  When  the  general  formed  tlie  line  of  battle,  he  ordered  tlie  regiments  to  load  with  an 
additional  ball.  The  forty-third  and  forty-se\enth  regiments,  in  the  centre,  being  little  affected 
by  tlie  oblique  fire  of  the  enemy,  ga\e  them,  with  great  calmness,  as  remarkable  a  close  and 
hea\y  discharge  as  1  ever  saw  jierformed  at  a  pri\ate  field  of  exercise,  insonuich  that  better 
troops  than  we  encountered  could  not  possibly  withstand  it :  and,  indeed,  well  might  the 
French  officers  say  that  they  ne\er  opposed  such  a  shock  as  they  received  from  the  centre  of 
our  line,  for  that  they  bi'ieved  every  ball  t(n)k  place,  and  such  regularity  and  discipUne  they 
had  not  experienced  before,  our  troops  in  general,  and  [larticularly  the  central  corps,  having 
levelled  and  fired  —  coiinite  mi  conf'  dt:  canon. 


I  'II 


ti 

i;- 
S; 


i  n 


II 

I' 


Hereupon  they  gave  way,  and  Hed  with  precipitation,  so  that  by 
the  time  the  cloud  of  smoke  was  vanished  our  men  were  again 
loaded,  and,  profiting  by  the  advantage  we  had  over  them,  pur- 
sued them  ahnost  to  the  gates  of  the  town  and  the  bridge  over 
the  little  river,  redoubling  our  fire  with  great  eagerness,  making 
many  officers  and  men  prisoners.  The  weather  cleared  up,  with 
a  comfortably  warm  sunshine.  The  Highlanders  chased  them 
vigorously  toward  Charles  River,  and  the  fifty-eighth  to  the 
suburb  close  to  John's  gate,  until  they  w^ere  checked  by  the 
cannon  from  the  two  hulks.  At  the  same  time  a  gun  which 
the  town  had  brought  to  bear  upon  us  with  grape-shot  galled 
the  progress  of  the  regiments  to  the  right,  who  were  likewise 
pursuing  w^ith  equal  ardor,  while  Colonel  Hunt  Walsh,  by  a 
very  judicious  movement,  wheeled  the  battalions  of  Bragg  and 
Kennedy  to  the  left,  and  flanked  the  coppice  where  a  body  of 
the  enemy  made  a  stand  as  if  willing  to  renew  the  action;  but 
a  few  platoons  from  these  corps  completed  our  victory.  Then 
it  was  that  Brigadier  Townshend  came  up,  called  off  the  pur- 
suers, ordered  the  whole  line  to  dress  and  recover  their  former 
ground.  Our  joy  at  this  success  is  inexpressibly  damped  by 
the  loss  we  sustained  of  one  of  the  greatest  heroes  which  this 
or  any  other  age  can  boast  of, —  General  James  Wolfe, —  who 
received  his  mortal  wound  as  he  was  exerting  himself  at  the 
head  of  the  grenadiers  of  Louisburg ;  and  Brigadier  Monckton 
was  unfortunately  wounded  upon  the  left  of  the  forty-third 
and  right  of  the  forty-seventh  regiment  at  much  the  same  time, 
whereby  the  command  devolved  on  Brigadier  Townshend,  who, 
with  Brigadier  Murray,  went  to  the  head  of  every  regiment  and 
returned  thanks  for  their  extraordinary  good  behavior,  congrat- 
ulating the  officers  on  our  success.  There  is  one  incident  very 
remarkable,  and  which  I  can  affirm  from  my  own  personal 
knowledge, —  that  the  enemy  were  extremely  apprehensive  of 
being  rigorously  treated :  for,  conscious  of  their  inhuman  be- 
havior to  our  troops  upon  a  former  occasion,  the  officers  who 
fell  into  our  hands  most  piteously  (with  hats  off)  sued  for  quar- 
ter, repeatedly  declaring  they  were  not  at  Fort  William  Henry 
(called  by  them  Fort  George)  in  the  year  1757.  A  soldier  of 
the  Royal  Americans  who  deserted  from  us  this  campaign,  and 
fought  against  us  to-day,  was  found  wounded  on  the  field  of 
battle.  He  was  immediately  tried  by  a  general  court-martial,  and 
was  shot  to  death  pursuant  to  his  sentence.  While  the  two 
armies  were    engaged    this  morning,   there   was  an    incessant 


I 


firing  between  the  town  and  our  south  batteries.  By  the  time 
tliat  our  troops  had  taken  a  little  refreshment,  a  quantity  of  in- 
trenching tools  were  brought  ashore,  and  the  regiments  were 
employed  in  redoubting  pur  ground  and  landing  some  cannon 
and  ammunition.  The  officers  who  are  prisoners  say  that 
(Quebec  will  surrender  in  a  few  days.  Some  deserters  who 
came  out  to  us  in  the  evening  agree  in  that  opinion,  and  inform 
us  that  the  Sieur  de  Montcalm  is  dying,  in  great  agony,  of  a 
wound  he  received  to-day  in  their  retreat.  Thus  has  our  late  re- 
nowned commander  by  his  superior  eminence  in  the  art  of  war, 
and  a  most  judicious  coup  iVetat^  made  a  conquest  of  this  fertile, 
healthy,  and  hitherto  formidable  country,  with  a  handful  of 
troops  only,  in  spite  of  the  political  schemes  and  most  vigorous 
efforts  of  the  famous  Montcalm,  and  many  other  officers  of 
rank  and  experience  at  the  head  of  an  army  considerably  more 
numerous.  My  pen  is  too  feeble  to  draw  the  character  of  this 
British  Achilles;  but  the  same  may,  with  justice,  be  said  of 
him  as  was  said  of  Henry  IV.  of  France  ;  he  was  possessed  of 
coin'iige,  humanity^  clemency,  generosity^  affability^  and  politeness. 
And  though  the  former  of  these  happy  ingredients,  how  essen- 
tial soever  it  may  be  in  the  composition  of  a  soldier,  is  not 
alone  sufficient  to  distinguish  an  expert  officer,  yet  I  may  with 
strict  truth  advance  that  Major  General  James  Wolfe,  by  his 
great  talents  and  martial  disposition,  which  he  discovered  early 
in  life,  was  greatly  superior  to  his  experience  in  generalship, 
and  was  by  no  means  inferior  to  a  Frederic,  a  Henry,  or  a 
Ferdinand. 

"  \\'hen  the  matter  matched  his  mighty  mind, 

Up  rose  the  hero  :  on  his  piercing  eye 

Sat  observation,  on  each  glance  of  thought 

Decision  followed,  as  the  thunderbolt 

Pursues  the  flash." 

The  strength  of  our  army  this  day  in  the  action  will  best 
appear  by  the  following  return,  to  which  I  shall  subjoin  that  of 
the  enemy  as  delivered  to  me  afterward  by  an  intelligent 
Frenchman. 


I 


ii 


m 


%  \  \ 


llr" 


OFFICKRS    I'RKSKN'r,    RANK    AND    FILK,    Krc. 


P 


Commissioned. 

Start. 

N.  I 

.'om. 

1 

^*m 

1 

^ 

1 

! 

W 

CJ  I 

i 

ffi 

1 

jj 

Total  of  all 

-9  ?" 

Regiments. 

■A     n 

«5 

'/ 

1    . 

n 

s 
c 

lA 

c 

2 

Rank 
and 

Ranks,      in- 
cluding ( '.111- 

3^ 

a  V  i 

5      =     .X. 

-5  .a  J2 
•J  -:  S 

1 

■•J 

s 

'2 

'7, 

< 

r 
0- 

1 
s 
(A 

£ 

File. 

1 
1 

1 

eral         ( )fti- 
cers,   etc. 

iStll 

Amherst's 

1 
I    0  '  I 

4 

15 

5 

0 

0 

I 

0 

1 
21 

6 

352 

406 

2!Sth 

liragg's 

I    0    I 

s 

9 

8 

0 

0 

I 

0 

23 

1 1 

3"2| 

421 

1 

3Stli 

( )t\vav's 

0    I    I 

s 

1 1 

8 

I 

I 

I 

0 

23 

11 

4^6 

5 '9 

1 

43  cl 

Kennedy's 

0    0    I 

() 

(•, 

4 

'    I 

I 

0 

0 

17 

11 

2  So  ' 

327 

1 

47tli 

L.iscelies's 

0      1   ;  0 

3 

S 

8 

1  0 

O' 

0 

0 

3' 

2 

305 

3''o 

1 

4«tli 

Webb's 

0 ;  I    0 

4 

16 

7 

I 

0 

I 

I 

33 

14 

605  i 

1     683 

SSth 

Anstrutiier's 

01    I 

4 

7 

6 

0 

0 

0 

0 

20 

0 

2r/i 

335 

6oth 

1  Monckton's 

I    0   0 

2 

h 

6 

'  0 

0 

0 

0 

26 

i.S 

2(>6 

!     322 

)  Lawrence's 

0    I    0 

4 

1 1 

8 

0 

0 

0 

0 

28 

14 

474  ; 

!    540 

78th 

Fraser's 

00c 

7 

12 

7 

I 

0 

0 

0 

28 

14 

603  1 

:    6()2 

22d 

(  Loiiisbiirg   ) 
\  Companies  > 
(  of  i  Irenad.  ) 

1     1 

' 

4otli 

0    I 

0 

2 

8 

0 

I 

0 

0 

0 

0 

4 

216 

241 

45th 

, 

Total 

,   '.-s 

4S 

109 

67 

's!^ 

4 

I 

259 

102 

4215  i 

1 

4816 

4828 

One  major-general,  three  brigadiers-general,  one  quarter- 
master-general, one  aid  quartermaster-general,  one  adjutant 
general,  four  majors  of  brigade,  two  aides-de-camp. 


STATE  OF   THF:   FRENCH   ARMY 


Right  Column. 

Centre  Column. 

Left  Column. 

Troupes  de  Colonic 
Regiment  de  la  Sarre 
Reg.  de  Languedoc 
Des  Milices  and  one  ) 
six-pounder               ) 

550 
500 

5. so 
400 

Regiment  de  Rerne 
Regiment  de  Guienne 
Des  ISIilices 

360 

360 

1200 

Royale  Rousillon 
La  Colonic 
Des  Milices 

650 

650 
2300 

2000 

1920 

3600 

Monsieur  de  Bougainville's  corps  from  Cape  Rouge,  consist- 
ing of  five  companies  of  grenadiers,  cavalry,  Canadian  volun- 
teers, savages,  ai  I  militia,  two  thousand  and  sixty ;  total  of  the 
enemy,  nine  thousand  five  hundred  and  eighty. 


Deserters  who  are  come  over  to  us  since  the  action  inform 
us  that  it  was  very  difficult  to  persuade  Monsieur  de  Montcahii 
and  the  other  commanders  that  the  flower  of  our  army  were 
behind  the  town :  and,  after  the  marquis  had  marched  his 
troops  over  the  river  Charles,  and  taken  a  view  of  us,  he  said : 
*'  They  have  at  last  got  to  the  weak  side  of  this  miserable  gar- 
rison. Therefore,  we  must  endeavor  to  crush  them  with  our  num- 
bers, ivui  sctilp  tlicm  all  before  hiH'h'c  o  clocks  K\-ery  coppice, 
bush,  or  other  cover  that  stood  on  our  ground  this  morning 
were  cut  down  before  night,  and  applied  to  the  use  of  our  new 
works.  The  houses  were  all  fortified  and  several  redoubts 
thrown  up  round  our  camp,  which  is  about  one  thousand  yards 
from  the  garrison,  before  ten  o'clock. 


^ 


ORDERS. 


SErTKMIiER    14. 


"Parole,  Wolfe;  countersign,  England." 


"The  remaining  general  officers  fit  to  act  take  the  earliest 
opportunity  to  express  the  praise  which  is  due  to  the  conduct 
and  bravery  of  the  troops,  and  the  victory  which  attended  it 
sufficiently  proves  the  superiority  which  this  army  has  over  any 
number  of  such  troops  as  they  engaged  yesterday  They  wish 
that  the  person  who  hitely  eominanded  them  had  snn'ived  so  glori- 
ous a  day,  and  had  this  day  been  able  to  gii'e  the  troops  these  Just 
encomiums.  The  fatigues  which  the  troops  will  be  obliged  to 
undergo,  to  reap  the  advantage  of  this  victory,  will  be  sup- 
ported with  a  true  spirit,  as  this  seems  to  be  the  period  which 
will  determine  in  all  probability  our  American  labors.  The 
troops  are  to  receive  a  gill  of  rum  per  day,  and  will  receive 
fresh  provisions  the  day  after  to-morrow.  The  regiments  and 
corps  to  give  returns  of  their  killed  and  wounded  yesterday, 
and  the  strength  of  their  corps.  The  pioneers  of  the  different 
regiments  to  bury  the  dead.  The  corps  are  to  send  all  their 
tools  not  immediately  in  use  to  the  artillery  park.  All  French 
papers  or  letters  found  are  desired  to  be  sent  to  the  headquar- 
ters. No  soldier  to  presume  to  stroll  beyond  the  outposts. 
Arms  that  cannot  be  drawn  are  to  be  fired  into  the  swamp  near 
the  headquarters.  The  admiral  has  promised  the  continuance 
of  all  the  assistance  which  the  n.val  service  can  spare,  to  ease 
the  troops  of  the  fatigues  which  the  farther  operations  will 
require    of   us.     General    Townshend    has  the   satisfaction  to 


ril 


IM 


10 


vi 


acquaint  the  troops  that  General  Monckton's  wound  is  not 
dangerous.  The  commanding  officers  of  the  corps  will  order 
the  rolls  to  be  called  every  half-hour  to  prevent  marauding,  etc."' 
Last  night  Krigadiei  Townshend  went  with  a  detachment  of 
two  hundred  men  to  the  French  general  hospital,  situated  on 
the  river  Charles,  and  about  a  mile  from  the  town.  This  is  a 
convent  of  nuns  of  the  Augustine  order,  who  —  from  principles 
of  charity  and  piety  —  take  care  of  all  sick  and  wounded  men 
and  officers.  Lands  are  appropriated  for  the  support  of  this 
institution,  besides  which  the  French  king  endows  u  with  a 
yearly  salary ;  and  a  table  is  kept  there  at  his  expense  for  con- 
valescent officers,  directors,  surgeons,  apothecaries,  etc.  The 
brigadier  found  an  officer's  guard  at  the  convent,  but  he  imme- 
diately took  possession  of  the  place  by  posting  a  captain's  com- 
mand there.  The  unfortunate  Marquis  de  ]VIontcalm  was  then 
in  the  house,  dying  of  his  wound,  attended  by  the  bishop  and 
his  chaplains.  A  transport,  a  schooner,  and  a  parcel  of  boats, 
with  ordnance  and  stores,  passed  the  town  last  night.  The 
enemy  fired  briskly  on  them,  but  without  any  effect.  The  gar- 
rison appear  to  be  at  work  upon  their  ramparts,  as  if  resolved 
to  prolong  the  siege.  Some  deserters  who  came  out  to  us  this 
day  inform  us  that  Monsieur  de  Levis,  who  has  rejoined  and 
collected  their  shattered  forces,  had  intended  to  surprise  the 
rear  of  our  camp  at  daybreak  this  morning,  but,  upon  recon- 
noitring our  situation  and  finding  we  had  made  such  excellent 
use  of  our  time  in  erecting  redoubts  and  other  works,  prudently 

The  Sieur*  de  Montcalm  died  late 
When  his  wound  was  dressed  and  he  settled  in 
bed,  the  surgeons  who  attended  him  were  desired  to  acquaint 
him  ingenuously  w'ith  their  sentiments  of  him  ;  and,  being 
answered  that  his  wound  was  mortal,  he  calmly  replied,  "  he 
was  glad  of  it."  His  Excellency  then  demanded  "  whether  he 
could  survive  it  long,  and  how  long.''  He  was  told,  "About 
a  dozen  hours,  perhaps  more,  peradventure  less."  "  So  much 
the  better,"  rejoined  this  eminent  warrior.  "  I  am  happy  I  shall 
not  live  to  see  the  surrender  of  Quebec."  He  then  ordered  his 
secretary  into  the  room  to  adjust  his  private  affairs,  which,  as 
soon  as  they  were  dispatched,  he  was  visited  by  Monsieur  de 
Ramsey,  the  French  king's  lieutenant,  and  by  other  principal 

*The  appointments  of  this  great  man  as  lieutenant-general  and  commander-in-chief, 
etc.,  did  not  exceed  a  thousand  sols  per  day;  and  I  have  been  credibly  informed  that  all  his 
other  emoluments  did  not  amount  to  more  than  the  like  sum, —  the  whole  equivalent  to  about 
nine  hundred  and  thirty  pounds  sterling  per  annum. 


declined  the  undertaking 
last  night 


II 


officers  who  desired  to  receive  his  Excellency's  commands,  with 
the  farther  measures  to  be  pursued  for  the  defence  of  Quebec, 
the  capital  of  Canada,  To  this  the  marquis  made  the  follow- 
ing answer :  ''  I'll  neither  give  orders  nor  interfere  any  farther. 
I  have  much  business  that  must  be  attended  to,  of  greater 
moment  than  your  ruined  garrison  and  this  wTetched  country. 
My  time  is  very  short,  therefore  pray  leave  me.  I  wish  you 
all  comfort,  and  to  be  happily  extricated  from  your  present  per- 
plexities." He  then  called  for  his  chaplain,  who,  with  the 
bishop  of  the  colony,  remained  with  him  till  he  expired.  Some 
time  before  this  great  man  departed,  we  are  assured  he  paid  us 
this  compliment :  "  Since  it  w^as  my  misfortune  to  be  discom- 
fited, and  mortally  wounded,  it  is  a  great  consolation  to  me  to 
be  vanquished  by  so  brave  and  generous  an  enemy.  If  I  could 
survive  this  wound,  I  w^ould  engage  to  beat  three  times  the 
number  of  such  forces  as  I  commanded  this  morning  with  a 
third  of  their  number  of  British  troops." 

We  are  drawing  artillery  and  ammunition  ashore  with  all 
expedition,  in  which  we  are  much  favored  at  present  by  the 
weather,  and  have  found  a  convenient  road  for  the  purpose 
leading  directly  from  the  cove  to  the  camp.  This  is  the  place 
that  had  been  intended  for  our  descent  yesterday ;  but  the 
morning  being  dark,  and  the  tide  of  ebb  very  rapid,  we  were 
imperceptibly  carried  a  little  lower  down,  which  proved  a  favor- 
able circumstance,  for  there  was  a  strong  intrenchment  that 
covered  the  road,  lined  by  a  detachment  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  men.  It  is  still  much  more  fortunate  that  the  general  had 
not  deferred  the  execution  of  his  project  to  another  day ;  for 
two  French  regiments,  with  a  corps  of  savages,  were  actually 
under  orders  of  readiness  to  march  at  six  o'clock  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  13th,  and  intrench  themselves  immediately  along  the 
heights ;  but,  happily,  our  troops  were  in  possession  of  that 
ground  before  the  enemy  had  any  thoughts  of  stirring.  Several 
men  and  officers  wounded  to-day  in  camp  by  shot  and  shells 
from  the  town.  The  French  regulars  in  the  late  engagement 
fired  slugs  of  lead  and  iron  from  their  small  arms.  Some  of 
them  were  found  in  the  shot  pouches  of  the  officers  that  were 
made  prisoners,  who,  being  challenged  upon  this  subject,  re- 
plied with  a  magnificent  shrug,  ''  It  was  their  custom,  without 
any  ill  design."  A  fiag  of  truce  came  from  the  garrison  this 
afternoon,  requesting  permission  to  bury  their  dead.  All  that 
were  within  our  reach  we  had  interred  before.     Brigadier  Monck- 


<-    } 


I 


'lit 


12 

ton  took  the  opportunity  in  this  cessation  to  pass  the  town  to 
his  tent  at  Point  Levi,  of  which  notice  was  sent  to  the  gover- 
nor and  to  our  batteries  on  the  south  shore. 

After  our  late  worthy  general  of  renowned  memory  was  car- 
ried off  wounded  to  the  rear  of  the  front  line,  he  desired  those 
who  were  about  him  to  lay  him  down.  Being  asked  if  he 
would  have  a  surgeon,  he  replied,  "  It  is  needless :  it  is  all 
c'er  with  me."  One  of  them  then  cried  out,  "They  run,  see 
how  they  run  !"  "Who  runs?"  demanded  our  hero  with  great 
earnestness,  like  a  person  roused  from  sleep.  The  officer 
answered:  "  The  enemy,  sir.  Egad,  they  give  way  everywhere." 
Thereupon  the  general  rejoined:  '•'Go,  one  of  yon,  my  hids^  to 
Colonel  Burton  — ;  tell  him  to  mareh  WehFs  regiment  with  all 
speed  down  to  Charles  River,  to  ent  off  the  retreat  of  the  fugitives 
from  the  bridged  Then,  turning  on  his  side,  he  added,  "  No7c>^ 
God  he  praised,  1 7C'ill  die  in  peaee  l""  and  thus  expired.* 

Quis 


Myrmidonum,  Dolopumque,  aut  duri  miles  Ulyssei, 
Temperet  a  laehrymis  / 

This  resignation  and  greatness  of  soul  calls  to  my  remem- 
brance an  almost  similar  story  of  Epaminondas,  the  Theban 
general,  who,  having  received  in  fight  a  mortal  wound  with  a 
sword,  which  was  left  in  his  body,  lay  in  that  posture  till  he  re- 
ceived intelligence  that  his  troops  had  obtained  a  victory,  and 
then  permitted  it  to  be  drawn  out,  saying  at  that  instant, 
"  This  is  not  the  end  of  my  life,  my  fellow-soldiers ;  it  is  now 
your  Epaminondas  was  born  who  dies  in  so  much  glory." 


When  Horace  Walpole  wrote  the  annals  of  his  time,  he  thus  de- 
scribed the  impression  made  on  the  English  public  by  the  touching 
and  inspiring  story  of  Wolfe's  heroism  and  death  :  "  The  incidents  of 
dramatic  fiction  could  not  be  conducted  with  more  address  to  lead  an 
audience  from  despondency  to  sudden  exaltation  than  accident  pre- 
pared to  excite  the  passions   of  a  whole   people.     They    despaired, 


*  Various  accounts  have  been  circulated  of  (ieneral  Wolfe's  manner  of  dying,  his  last 
words,  and  the  officers  into  whose  hands  he  fell.  And  many,  from  a  \anityof  talking,  claimed 
the  honor  of  being  his  supporters  after  he  was  wounded.  I'ut  the  foregoing  circumstances 
were  ascertained  to  me  bv  Lieutenant  I'rown,  of  the  grenadiers  of  Louisburg,  and  tlie  twenty- 
second  regiment,  who  witii  Mr.  Henderson,  a  \-olunteer  in  tiie  same  company  and  a  private 
man,  were  the  three  persons  who  carried  his  Kxcellency  to  the  rear,  which  an  artillery  officer 
seeing,  innnediately  flew  to  iiis  assistance  ;  and  tiiese  were  all  that  attended  him  in  his  dying 
moments.  /  do  not  rt'collcct  the  cxytillery  oX^uer's  tiatiie,  or  it  sliould  be  elteerfitlly  reeorded 
here. 


13 


they  triumphed,  and  they  wept ;  for  Wolfe  had  fallen  in  the  hour  of 
victory.  Joy,  curiosity,  astonishment,  was  painted  on  every  counte- 
nance. The  more  they  inquired,  the  more  their  admiration  rose. 
Not  an  incident  but  was  heroic  and  affecting.*'  England  blazed  with 
bonfires.  In  one  spot  alone  all  was  dark  and  silent;  for  here  a 
widowed  mother  mourned  for  a  loving  and  devoted  son,  and  the  peo- 
ple forbore  to  profane  her  grief  with  the  clamor  of  their  rejoicings. 

New  England  had  still  more  cause  of  joy  than  Old,  and  she  filled 
the  land  with  jubilation.  The  pulpits  resounded  with  sermons  of 
thanksgiving,  some  of  which  were  worthy  of  the  occasion  that  called 
them  forth.  Among  the  rest.  Jonathan  Mayhew,  a  young  but  justly 
celebrated  minister  of  Boston,  pictured  with  enthusiasm  the  future 
greatness  of  the  British-American  colonies,  with  the  continent  thrown 
open  before  them,  and  foretold  that,  '•  with  the  continued  blessing  of 
Heaven,  they  will  become,  in  another  century  or  two,  a  mighty  em- 
pire '' :  adding  in  cautious  parenthesis,  "  /  do  not  mean  an  inde- 
pendent one.''  He  read  Wolfe's  victory  aright,  and  divined  its 
far-reaching  consequence.  .  .  . 

Half  the  continent  changed  hands  at  the  scratch  of  a  pen.  Gov- 
ernor Bernard,  of  Massachusetts,  proclaimed  a  day  of  thanksgiving 
for  the  great  event,  and  the  Boston  newspapers  recount  how  the  oc- 
casion was  celebrated  with  a  parade  of  the  cadets  and  other  volun- 

in  Faneuil  Hall,  music,  bonfires,  illumina- 
and,  above  all.  by  sermons  in  every  church  of 
the  province;  for  the  heart  of  early  New  England  always  found 
voice  through  her  pulpits.  Before  me  lies  a  bundle  of  these  sermons, 
rescued  from  sixscore  years  of  dust,  scrawled  on  their  title-pages 
with  names  of  owners  dead  long  ago,  worm-eaten,  dingy,  stained 
with  the  damps  of  time,  and  uttering  in  quaint  old  letterpress  the 
emotions  of  a  buried  and  forgotten  past.  Triumph,  gratulation, 
hope,  breathe  in  every  line,  but  no  ill-will  against  a  fallen  enemy. 
Thomas  Foxcroft,  pastor  of  the  •'  Old  Church  in  Boston,"  preaches 
from  the  text,  ••  The  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us,  whereof  we 
are  glad."  ••  Long."  he  says,  "had  it  been  the  common  opinion, 
Delenda  est  Carthago,  Canada  must  be  conquered,  or  we  could  hope 
for  no  lasting  quiet  in  these  parts ;  and  now.  through  the  good  hand 
of  our  God  upon  us,  we  see  the  happy  day  of  its  accomplishment. 
We  behold  His  Majesty's  victorious  troops  treacling  upon  the  high 
places  of  the  enemy,  their  last  fortress  delivered  up,  and  their  whole 
country  surrendered  to  the  King  of  Britain  in  the  person  of  his  gen- 
eral, the  intrepid,  the  serene,  the  successful  Amherst.'' 

The  loyal  John  Mellen.  pastor  of  the  Second  Church  in  Lancaster, 
exclaims,  boding  nothing  of  the  tempest  to  come :  "  Let  us  fear  God 
and  honor  the  king,  and  be  peaceable  subjects  of  an  easy  and  happy 
government.  And  may  the  blessing  of  Heaven  lie  ever  upon  those 
enemies  of  our  country  that  have  now  submitted  to  the  English 
crown,  and  according  to  the  oath  they  have  taken  lead  quiet  lives  in 


teer  corps,  a  grand  dinner 
tions,  firing  of  cannon 


14 


all  godliness  and  honesty."  Then  he  ventures  to  predict  that  Amer- 
ica, now  thrown  open  to  British  colonists,  will  be  peopled  in  a  century 
and  a  half  with  sixty  million  souls, —  a  prophecy  likely  to  be  more 
than  fulfilled. 

"  God  has  given  us  to  sing  this  day  the  downfall  of  New  France, 
the  North  American  Babylon,  New  England's  rival,"  cries  Eli 
Forbes  to  his  congregation  of  sober  farmers  and  staid  matrons  at  the 
rustic  village  of  lirookfield.  Like  many  of  his  flock,  he  had  been  to 
the  war,  having  served  two  years  as  chaplain  of  Ruggles's  Massa- 
chusetts regiment;  and  something  of  a  martial  spirit  breathes 
through  his  discourse.  He  passes  in  review  the  events  of  each  cam- 
paign down  to  their  triumphant  close.  •'  Thus  (iod  was  our  salva- 
tion and  our  strength ;  yet  He  who  directs  the  great  events  of  war 
suffered  not  our  joy  to  be  uninterrupted,  for  we  had  to  lament  the  fall 
of  the  valiant  and  good  General  Wolfe,  whose  death  demands  a  tear 
from  every  British  eye,  a  sigh  from  every  Protestant  heart.  Is  he 
dead  ?  I  recall  myself.  Such  heroes  are  immortal :  he  lives  on 
every  loyal  tongue ;  he  lives  in  every  grateful  breast :  and  charity 
bids  me  give  him  a  place  among  the  princes  of  heaven."  Nor  does 
he  forget  the  praises  of  Amherst,  '•  the  renowned  general,  worthy  of 
that  most  honorable  of  all  titles,  the  Christian  hero ;  for  he  loves  his 
enemies,  and  while  he  subdues  them  he  makes  them  happy.  He 
transplants  British  liberty  to  where  till  now  it  was  unknown.  He 
acts  the  general,  the  Briton,  the  conqueror,  and  the  Christian.  What 
fair  hopes  aris8  from  the  peaceful  and  undisturbed  enjoyment  of  this 
good  land,  and  the  blessing  of  our  gracious  God  with  it  I  Methinks 
I  see  towns  enlarged,  settlements  increased,  and  this  howling  wilder- 
ness become  a  fruitful  field  which  the  Lord  hath  blessed ;  and,  to 
complete  the  scene,  I  see  churches  rise  and  flourish  in  every  Christian 
grace  where  has  been  the  seat  of  Satan  and  Indian  idolatry.'' 

Nathaniel  Appleton.  of  Cambridge,  hails  the  dawning  of  a  new 
era.  "■  Who  can  tell  what  great  and  glorious  things  Crod  is  about  to 
bring  forward  in  the  world,  and  in  this  world  of  America  in  particu- 
lar.'' Oh,  may  the  time  come  when  these  deserts,  which  for  ages  un- 
known have  been  regions  of  darkness  and  habitations  of  cruelty, 
shall  be  illuminated  with  the  light  of  the  glorious  gospel ;  and  when 
this  part  of  the  world,  which  till  the  later  ages  was  utterly  unknown, 
shall  be  the  glory  and  joy  of  the  whole  earth  I ''  .  .  , 

All,  and  more  than  all,  that  France  had  lost  England  had  won. 
Now,  for  the  first  time,  she  was  beyond  dispute  the  greatest  of  mari- 
time and  colonial  powers.  Portugal  and  HoUand,  her  precursors  in 
ocean  enterprise,  had  long  ago  fallen  hopelessly  behind.  Two  great 
rivals  remained,  and  she  had  humbled  the  one  and  swept  the  other 
from  her  path.  Spain,  with  vast  American  po  .sessions,  was  sinking 
into  the  decay  which  is  one  of  the  phenomena  of  modern  history : 
while  France,  of  late  a  most  formidable  competitor,  had  abandoned 
the  contest  in  despair.     England  was  mistress  of  the  seas,  and  the 


15 


world  was  thrown  open  to  her  merchants,  explorers,  and  colonists. 
A  few  years  after  the  peace  the  navigator  Cook  began  his  memorable 
series  of  voyages,  and  surveyed  the  strange  and  barbarous  lands 
which  after-times  were  to  transform  into  other  Englands,  vigorous 
children  of  this  great  mother  of  nations.  It  is  true  that  a  heavy 
blow  was  soon  to  fall  upon  her :  her  own  folly  was  to  alienate  the 
eldest  and  greatest  of  her  offspring.  But  nothing  could  rob  her  of 
the  glory  of  giving  birth  to  the  United  States;  and,  though  politi- 
cally severed,  this  gigantic  progeny  were  to  be  not  the  less  a  source 
of  growth  and  prosperity  to  the  parent  that  bore  them,  joined  with 
her  in  a  triple  kinship  of  laws,  language,  and  blood.  The  war  or 
series  of  wars  that  ended  with  the  peace  of  Paris  secured  the  oppor- 
tunities and  set  in  action  the  forces  that  have  planted  English  homes 
in  every  clime,  and  dotted  the  earth  with  English  garrisons  and  posts 
of  trade. 

With  the  peace  of  Paris  ended  the  checkered  story  of  New 
France, —  a  story  which  would  have  been  a  history  if  faults  of  con- 
stitution and  the  bigotry  and  folly  of  rulers  had  not  dwarfed  it  to  an 
episode.  Yet  it  is  a  noteworthy  one  in  both  its  lights  and  its  shad- 
ows :  in  the  disinterested  zeal  of  the  founder  of  Quebec,  the  self- 
devotion  of  the  early  missionary  martyrs,  and  the  daring  enterprise  of 
explorers  :  in  the  spiritual  and  temporal  vassalage  from  which  the  only 
escape  was  to  the  savagery  of  the  wilderness :  and  in  the  swarming 
corruptions  which  were  the  natural  result  of  an  attempt  to  rule,  by 
the  absolute  hand  of  a  master  beyond  the  Atlantic,  a  people  bereft  of 
every  vestige  of  civil  liberty. 

Scarcely  were  they  free  from  the  incubus  of  France  when  the 
British  Provinces  showed  symptoms  of  revolt.  The  measures  on  the 
part  of  the  mother-country  which  roused  their  resentment,  far  from 
being  oppressive,  were  less  burdensome  than  the  navigation  laws  to 
which  thev  had  long  submitted ;  and  thev  resisted  taxation  bv  Par- 
liament  simply  because  it  was  in  principle  opposed  to  their  rights  as 
freemen.  They  did  not.  like  the  American  Provinces  of  Spain  at 
a  later  day.  sunder  themselves  from  a  parent  fallen  into  decreptitude, 
but  with  astonishing  audacity  they  affronted  the  wrath  of  England 
in  the  hour  of  her  triumph,  forgot  their  jealousies  and  quarrels, 
joined  hands  in  the  common  cause,  fought,  endured,  and  won.  The 
disunited  colonies  became  the  United  States. —  From  Fark)nan''s 
'-'Montcalm  and  Wo/ft'."' 


"The  Peace  of  Pans,"  says  l^arkman,  in  the  concluding  chapter  of  his 
*'  !tIontcalm  and  Wolfe,"  "  marks  an  epoch  than  which  none  in  modern 
history  is  more  fruitful  of  grand  results.  With  it  began  a  new  chapter  in 
the  annals  of  the  world":  and  he  borrows  the  Words  of  Cireen  in  his  "  His- 
tory of  the  English  People":  "  With  the  triumph  of  Wolfe  on  the  Heights 
of  Abraham  began  the  history  of  the  United  States."     John  Fiske's  judg- 


i6 


ment  is  that  "  the  triumph  of  Wolfe  marks  the  greatest  turning-point  as  yet 
discoverable  in  modern  history."  It  was  a  significant  and  great  event 
because  it  settled  the  fact  that  North  America  should  be  New  England,  and 
not  New  France. 

"The  British  cause,"  says  Hinsdale,  in  his  "Old  Xorth-west,"  "was  the 
cause  of  the  Xorth-west  and  of  America.  Put  in  the  broadest  way,  the 
question  was,  whether  French  or  English  ideas  and  tendencies  should  have 
sway  in  North  America.  Montcalm  and  Wolfe  were  both  gallant  soldiers 
and  able  commanders,  both  true  patriots  and  chivalrous  gentlemen ;  but 
they  stood  on  the  Heights  of  Abraham  that  September  day  for  very  dif- 
ferent things:  Montcalm  for  the  old  rci:;ime,  Wolfe  for  the  House  of  Com- 
mons ;  Montcalm  for  the  alliance  of  king  and  priest,  Wolfe  for  habeas 
corf  us  and  free  inquiry ;  Montcalm  for  the  past,  Wolfe  for  the  future ; 
Montcalm  for  Louis  XV.  and  Madame  de  Pompadour,  Wolfe  for  George 
Washington  and  Abraham  Lincoln." 

Of  the  long  struggle  of  France  for  the  possession  of  this  continent 
Parkman  is  the  historian,  his  great  series  of  books,  ending  with  the  "  Mont- 
calm and  Wolfe,"  constituting  a  body  of  historical  work  which  is  unique 
and  monumental  "  Mr.  Parkman's  Histories  "  is  the  subject  of  a  special 
Old  South  Leaflet,  7th  series,  1SS9,  No.  3;  and  to  that  the  student  is  re- 
ferred for  representative  selections  and  careful  historical  and  bibliographi- 
cal notes. 

Captain  John  Knox's  "  Historical  Journal  of  the  Campaigns  in  X^orth 
America  for  the  years  1757,  17 58,  1759,  and  1760,"  from  which  the  account 
of  the  battle  of  Quebec  given  in  the  present  leaflet  is  taken,  is  a  large  work 
in  two  volumes,  published  in  London  a  few  years  after  the  battle,  and  is 
of  high  value  as  the  careful  record  of  one  who  was  a  participant  in  the 
great  events  described.  There  is  a  large  nimiber  of  contemporary  narratives 
of  the  siege  of  Quebec,  both  on  the  English  and  French  sides;  and  a  careful 
account  of  them  may  be  found  in  the  notes  to  Justin  Winsor's  chapter  on 
"The  Struggle  for  the  (ireat  Valleys  of  Xorth  America,"  in  the  "Xarrative 
and  Critical  History  of  America,"  vol.  v.  There  are  few  great  historical 
events  concerning  which  the  original  material  is  more  abundant  or  valuable. 
The  mrst  important  life  of  Wolfe  is  that  by  Wright.  There  is  an  admirable 
brief  biography  by  Bradley  in  the  "  English  Men  of  Action  "  series.  Sj^ecial 
attention  should  also  be  called  to  the  address  by  Sabine  before  the  Xew 
England  Historic-Genealogical  Society  in  1S59,  the  hundredth  anniversary 
of  the  death  of  Wolfe.  The  appendix  contains  much  valuable  matter ;  and 
the  study  of  the  many  different  accounts  of  Wolfe's  last  moments  is  of 
peculiar  interest.  Knox's  account  differs  in  important  respects  from  others  ; 
but  Mr.  Saliine's  verdict  is  that  it  is  his  version  which  we  may  confidently 
adopt.     This,  too,  is  the  account  followed  by  Parkman. 


d\ 


■'I    I 


PUBLISHED    BY 

THE  DIRECTORS  OF  THE  OLD  SOUTH  WORK, 
Old  South  Meeting-house,  Boston,  Mass. 


W  I 


! 


■'Ml 


